Beat Movement of the 1950\'s and the Roots of a New Counter Culture

Blindness Aspergers

Equivalence, availability, and participation are taken for granted by people without special needs. People with special needs understand that working methods and utility help create vibrant participation in community life. Visual impairments and blindness create the need to interact with the world in completely different ways from sighted people. Likewise, a person with a developmental disorder like Asperger's also requires nuanced methods of interacting. These two conditions are prime examples of how environments and people can be adapted to suit all residents of a community, in order to foster social justice and equality.

Blindness can be congenital, meaning the individual has been blind since birth. Others lose their sight over time or suddenly as the result of an injury, illness, accident, or disease. Either way, visual impairment impacts the ability of the person to accommodate daily reality. A person who has been blind since birth has learned how to navigate life without the sense of sight, and may therefore be more able to live independently and without too many assistive aids. Those who have lived a life as a sighted person and lose their ability to see may struggle on an added psychological dimension, as well as lacking the tools to live independently. A blind person may need an assistive animal to help, may need to learn how to read Braille, and may also need occasional human inputs for support services.

Asperger's is a developmental disorder and part of the autism spectrum. The condition manifests primarily in the way the individual interacts with others, and perceives his or her role in the social world. A highly functioning form of the autism spectrum disorders, Asperger's can be managed via simple interventions and compassionate tools. Independent living is practically guaranteed, if a young person is offered the right tools, support, and assistance early in life. As with blindness, Asperger's is not necessarily a debilitating condition. However, environmental and social support services go a long way towards improving participation in daily life as well as in intervention programs.

Working methods include addressing physical, social, and psychological dimensions of life. Some individuals may also require supports related to their spiritual needs, which may also be psychological or social in nature. For example, going to a church or other place of worship serves social as well as psychological needs by providing the person with a community of like-minded individuals and a sense of peace and comfort.

It is impossible to generalize about the way a blind person lives and how their leisure time looks. Blindness impacts a wide range of individuals from different cultural backgrounds. Individuals with blindness are still individuals, with unique approaches to life, different worldviews, and different interests. Some may be highly athletic in nature, others more intellectual. Therefore, generalizing about blindness is as futile as generalizing about being black or Jewish. There are some factors that will be shared in common among blind people, though. Blind people by definition lack the ability to see, and therefore interact with their world and other people through other sensory media including touch, smell, taste, and sound. The blind person wakes up with an audio alarm, and gets out of bed. Walking to the bathroom, the blind person feels he or her way as a sighted person does in the dark. A blind person likely prefers to maintain order and stability in the household, so that objects are in places that are predictable. This allows the person to more easily move around without constantly having to feel around -- making movement more efficient and trouble free. Blind people can easily live a "full life," (Medline Plus, 2013).

A person with Asperger's does not have the same daily occupational needs, but may prefer to be alone more often than a blind person. As with blindness, Asperger's has no blanket intervention. There is great diversity among the people with Asperger's. Asperger's impacts social skills, but some children have been taught early on how to work with their condition to create meaningful relationships. For instance, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2013) claims that social skills training is a type of therapy that teaches children with Asperger's how to interact best with their peers and adults. Speech therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and occupational therapy may all help the individual develop healthy social skills and life skills. As with a blind person, a person with Asperger's benefits from occupational therapies that improve the ability to live independently. Thus, a person with Asperger's learns how to function well in a highly interactive and social environment, by reducing stressors and recognizing patterns of behaviors and cognitions. The blind person's occupational therapies will be more mechanically oriented, teaching the individual how to address safety issues due to the lack of vision.

What blind people and people with Asperger's do in their leisure time will vary form person to person. Some people will want a highly engaging leisure time filled with activities ranging from parties and social events to sports or outdoors time. Depending on the person, leisure time will be relaxing or stimulating. Therefore, it is critical to recognize the person's interests when helping to develop the correct occupational, social, and psychological skills necessary to function highly in every situation. A blind person who loves to go hiking, for example, might join a hiking club that provides a social support system and helps the blind person hike with or without a helper dog in ways that are safe. The blind person can therefore relish the fresh air, and perhaps even enjoy privacy but without being in any danger. A blind person can learn to do any physical activity with some guidance, support, and assistance. Blind children can "learn, play, and work" by adapting to their environments ("Blindness," 2013). Some blind people might be interested in music or the arts, and would benefit from membership in organizations that provide opportunities for growth in these areas.